Camera - Found

I came across the camera by accident. I was in the back of Mum's wardrobe, looking for her shoe horn, like she'd asked me to, when I found this black bag, a loose cover containing something and wondered what it was. I took it out and had a good look at it. I never remembered Mum with it although we all used phones to take photos now, never a camera anyway.

"Mum, whose camera is this?" I asked her, bringing it downstairs, the shoe horn forgotten.

"Camera?" she replied, and she looked at me, curiously. "I don't have a camera, love."

I showed her it and she said, "No, I've never seen that before in my life. Where did you find it?"

"Back of your wardrobe, behind the shoes," I said.

She really did look puzzled and I'd never known Mum to lie, only little white ones.

"It looks like it's still got film in it," I said, looking it over.

"You might want to ask your dad about it. Maybe it's his," Mum said. "Perhaps it was here when we moved in or something."

"You're probably right, Mum. I'll just put it back."

And we moved on to talk about something else and the camera was never mentioned again. But I didn't put it back and I never asked Dad about it.

I don't know why but something made me keep it from him. I think, in the first instance, I thought I'd get the photos developed and then, I would hand them over as a surprise. And then, when the photos came back, they were so curious...I just held on to them.

Until now.

*

Luke

I pick up my phone.

New message.

On Messenger, not my usual contacts.

My heart races.

This is all too much and I have to breathe deeply again. Don't they say the past never stays buried?

I open it.

I don't recognise who it's from at first. The picture is of a man, with a family. I read the message:

"I've had a photo."

Nothing else. No greeting. Just that.

But I know who it is now.

I reply: "Me too."

Three little dots...

"We need to talk."

***

366 words

A continuation. It was never my intention to write a series and yet, here we are and I will see it through to a conclusion now because I think I know where I want to take it. I also need to return to "The Bag" but one thing at a time, I think.

So, who is the secret messenger? And who has found the camera and what is their motive for sending photos? I hope that I am keeping you in suspense and that you want to keep reading. That is, after all, what every writer wants.

Thanks for stopping by! If you do read this, please leave a comment as I love to interact with my readers.

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